Lanterns will light up at last and ring in Chinese New Year
Many thousands are expected at the four-day Auckland Lantern Festival next month after it was cancelled for two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Organisers of this year’s festival, which will be held at the ASB Showgrounds for the first time from February 10 to 13, promise a very different experience, with most of the lantern displays indoors.
The annual festival, which had previously been held at the Auckland Domain, celebrates Chinese New Year with lantern displays, music, dance, arts, crafts and food. Chinese New Year falls on February 1 this year, and it is the Year of the Tiger.
The free festival is New Zealand’s largest cultural festival and more than 100,000 Aucklanders and visitors are expected to attend.
Eric Ngan, event producer, said the showgrounds provided an opportunity to introduce new features including talks with speakers from the Asian-NZ creative community, film screenings and an audio tour of the lanterns.
More than 800 handmade lanterns will illuminate pavilions where visitors can follow an indoor trail to experience the stories behind the lanterns and Chinese culture in themed settings.
“Having the lanterns in the halls means we don’t have to wait for nightfall to illuminate the lanterns,” Ngan said. “It also means we can have longer hours for people to view and enjoy the lanterns.”
After a three-year wait, food stall operators are excited about returning to the festival.
Patrick Leung, 67, whose food truck business Mama’s Dumplings will be one of 29 stalls, says he loves the festival’s “exciting” vibe.
“We never expected to be waiting three years to return,” he said.
His wife, Lily Wen, 47, makes the dumplings, which are usually a hot seller because of the significance of eating them during New Year.
Dumplings are shaped like ingots, or ancient Chinese money, and people who eat them during the festival are believed to have good wealth headed their way.
Wen, originally from Sichuan, said dumplings were her must-have dish on Chinese New Year’s Eve and during the festival.
As well, 13 stalls will sell traditional and contemporary crafts and gifts, and local artisans will demonstrate traditional Chinese calligraphy, kite-making, fan painting, and embroidery, and visitors can solve Chinese riddles.
Borders are still closed to most international travellers, so the main stage this year will feature top KiwiChinese performers, ranging from Chinese folk, opera and orchestra to modern pop, dance and martial arts.
“The festival team is buzzing and can’t wait to join the Auckland Chinese community in celebrating the Chinese New Year in spectacular fashion at the Auckland Showgrounds,” said Auckland Unlimited director of arts, entertainment and events, Richard Clarke. “So much hard work and mahi has gone into the planning and programming of the event.”
An online lantern festival programme on aucklandnz.com will also feature festival videos, Chinese craft and cooking classes, galleries, playlists, and performers.
This year a ticketing system will be used to help with crowd management and contact tracing and demand is expected to be heavy. People are advised to book early and tickets will be available from 9am Monday, January 24, on aucklandnz.com/lantern.
Having the lanterns in the halls means we don’t have to wait for nightfall.
Eric Ngan, event producer